


Heaven's Devil

by Aero



Category: Highlight | Beast (Band), K-pop
Genre: F/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:21:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23776777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aero/pseuds/Aero
Summary: My name is Hyong Jaein but I go by Jade. I thought I was fulfilling my mother's wish by going to college in my homeland of South Korea, but I was wrong. What started out as her dream, became my nightmare. As soon as I arrived, I was kidnapped, given drugs, stripped down, and sold on the black market as a sex slave. I was scared. I didn't know what would become of me. And then he bought me. At first, he was kind. Kind enough that I let my guard down just enough for him to sneak in and tear me apart. Then he was cruel. My daily routine turned into sex, chores, sex, sleep, rinse, and repeat. Sprinkle in some abuse, and you've got the perfect recipe for my life.
Relationships: Lee Gikwang/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. The Masked Man

The banging gavel caused me to flinch as I watched the naked girl on the stage be dragged away by a burly man. The masked audience chatted amongst themselves as the auctioneer readied his data for the next item for sale: me. Another man harshly yanked me up from the floor and whispered into my ear, “Your turn, sweetheart. Big smiles!” Before I could process anything, he pushed me onto the stage where a middle-aged woman sat me down in a chair and held my legs open so the audience could see my exposed body parts. The only thing I could do to save myself the embarrassment was close my eyes.

“Our next item – item number 337 – is a girl in her mid-twenties of mixed race,” the auctioneer yelled into the microphone, “She arrived in South Korea from America only a few hours ago but, according to her travel documents, her mother is Korean, so language won’t be a problem!”

My eyes widened in shock. They got my travel documents? What else did they steal from my luggage?

“According to our measurements, she has C-cup breasts with a hip-waist ratio we’ll leave to your imaginations. We’ll start the bidding for this beautiful item at 15 million won!” Suddenly, the masked audience started holding up signs as the number began to increase. I began to breathe faster as the anticipation grew. What would become of me? “Going once,” the auctioneer yelled. He paused for a moment. “Going twice! Sold to number 631!” The auctioneer banged his gavel on the podium as the middle-aged woman behind me let go of my legs and stood me up and handed me off to the burly man as the next girl entered the stage.

The burly man hurried me offstage and shoved me into a poorly lit room backstage. In the room were all of the auctioned off girls that had been sold before me sitting against the wall in plastic chairs. Most of the girls were crying and some were still under the effects of the drugs administered to us but all of them were naked and had their arms tied in front of them. In the corner of the room stood a security guard who seemed unfazed by the tears of the women. “Show me your arms,” the guard said. I did as I was told and showed him the cord which held my wrists together. He scanned the barcode attached to it and checked a machine to make sure the data was accurate. “Okay,” he said once satisfied, “sit down and be quiet!”

I sat down at the end of the line and looked at the girl next to me. She was a foreign girl who seemed younger than me and tears streamed out of her bright blue eyes. I waited in silence for a long time as more girls poured in, showed the guard their wrists, and sat down. If they were still drugged, someone tossed them on the floor.

“Number 294,” a man yelled as he entered the room, “your owner’s here!” The girl who was assigned 294 screamed and curled herself into a ball as she shivered in fear. “Great,” the man mumbled loudly, “another screamer.” He sighed loudly and left the room for a brief moment. When he came back in, he had a syringe which he uncapped and approached the girl. He stuck the needle into her arm, and within moments, she was limp. He recapped the needle and tossed it at the guard who immediately threw it away. Then, he picked up the girl with little effort and carried her out of the room.

Again, the room was silent.

After a while, the man reentered the room. “Number 337!” he yelled. My heart almost stopped. The man looked around the room and was about to yell again when I shakily stood up. He smiled, pleased at my behavior. “Let’s go,” he said, “your new owner’s here.”

I felt my breathing quicken as he grabbed my arm and walked me out of the room. Fifty people or so stood outside the room, waiting for their prize, and I looked around at each of them. They all wore masquerade masks which gave them an air of mystery and elegance. The whole situation felt surreal to me as the man led me past the majority of the crowd and to a lone man in the back of the room wearing a full-face mask but with wavy brown hair. “Here you go, sir,” the man said, pushing me toward the lone man, “Enjoy.”

I faced my new owner as he looked me up and down. “What’s your name?” he said, gently caressing my arm. I was stunned. His voice was softer than I had imagined. Suddenly, his gentle caress turned into a tight grip. “I said,” he repeated, “what’s your name?”

“J-Jade,” I managed to utter, “M-My real name is Hyong Jaein, but I go by Jade.” His grip on me lessened and, without a word, he led me out of the backstage area and into a hallway. We walked down the hall and stopped at an elevator. “W-Who are you?” I asked.

He quickly glanced at me and then back at the closed elevator door. “Can’t say here,” he said, “It’s against the rules.” He said nothing else as the elevator door opened and we walked inside. He pressed a button and we both stood in silence as the elevator made its way down.

When the door opened again, we walked out into the basement parking lot. As I looked around at the cars, I could see men assaulting and abusing the girls that were in the room with me before. I looked back at the masked man next to me, but he paid no mind to them. He kept his eyes forward. Soon we stopped in front of a red sports car and he opened the door and pulled out a large jacket. “Here,” he said, draping the jacket over my shoulders, “you must be cold.”

I bowed my head to him, and he led me over to the passenger’s side of the car. When I got in, he closed the door behind me and hurried over to the driver’s side and sat next to me. I expected him to take his mask off, but he kept it on as he started the car and began to drive.

The car ride was awkward. The masked man stayed silent and only occasionally glanced my way as he sped down the nighttime streets. It was my first time in Korea, but I wasn’t in the mood to look at the scenery out the window. I just focused on my lap as I tried to keep the thoughts of my future at bay.

It was well past midnight by the time the car finally came to a stop. I looked outside the window and saw a modern-looking single-story house in the outskirts of the city. We both got out of the car and the masked man led me up to the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key to the door, unlocked it, and opened it with a loud creak.

He turned the lights on as he took off his shoes and guided me through the house. We passed a room that was closed off, the dining room, and the kitchen before we finally stopped at a closed door. “This is your room,” the man said as he opened the door. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I was surprised to see a normal looking room with a large bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. He led me into the room and sat me down on the bed. When he reached for me, my heart began to beat wildly. I was alone in a house with a man who could do anything he wanted to do to me. I flinched and tried to back away from him, but all he did was reach for his coat and take it off me. I could see him eyeing me up and down and I unconsciously tried to cover up my body. “There’s no point in hiding yourself from me,” he said calmly, “I’ve already seen everything I need to see.”

“W-Who are you?” I finally asked, feeling the tears begin to well up in my eyes.

With one hand, the man reached for the elastic string behind his head and used his other hand to remove the mask from his face. “My name is Lee Gikwang,” he said with a sigh, as I finally got a good look at his face. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I had been expecting him to be an old man on the verge of death but what I saw was the complete opposite. He appeared to be my age with light skin, full lips, and eyes that could see into my soul. He smirked, seeming to know what I was thinking. “Like what you see?” he asked, crossing his arms smugly. I looked down in embarrassment but said nothing. “I guess you could say the feeling’s mutual.”

Hiding my blush, I continued to stare at the ground. “Why am I here?” I asked. I was almost afraid of the answer.

“I bought you,” he stated matter-of-factly, “Don’t you take home things you buy?”

I finally looked up at Gikwang, tears fighting to fall. “Why would you buy me?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, “Just know that outside of this house, you have nothing: no phone, no visa, no passport, no clothes. In other words, you’re stuck with me. I’m all you have.” He approached me and gripped my chin firmly. “I will give you shelter and food,” he added, “all you have to do in return is obey me. If you do as I say, I will reward you.” He sensually kissed me on the lips, but it was so quick, I didn’t have time to react. He then moved over to my ear and whispered, “But if you defy me, I will make you wish for death.” I tensed up and unconsciously moved away from him. He smirked and placed a large hand on my head. “For now,” he said gently, “all I want you to do is rest.” He smiled and, without saying anything else, walked out of the room.

I laid down on the bed and took a few deep breaths before finally succumbing to the tears. Mentally, I was exhausted but, physically, I was wide awake. I didn’t know if it was because I had slept on the plane or self-preservation due to the unknown. I didn’t know what kind of things Gikwang was going to do to me. I didn’t know when I’d ever see my family and friends again. I didn’t even know where in Korea I was. I had no way of contacting anyone to let them know I was alright. Was anyone even looking for me? All I could manage to do in the moment was cry.

After a while, the tears would no longer come. Shakily, I decided to get up and look around. When I first entered the room, I hadn’t noticed the en suite bathroom and I quietly took a peek inside. It was a beautifully appointed marble full bathroom with a glass-walled shower, a bathtub, toilet, and basic toiletries. Deciding to explore the rest of the house, I closed the bathroom door and left my bedroom. Upon leaving the bedroom was a large, spacious living room that I had glanced at when I first arrived. There were two black couches that formed an L-shape in the corner of the room. A flat screen TV adorned the wall across from the couches and I could see exercise equipment outside the window on the patio. I had no idea where Gikwang was so I tip-toed through the living room and approached the kitchen. Compared to the rest of the house, it was pretty small with just a few counters, a refrigerator, a stove, and the washing machine.

There was only one room left and its door was cracked open. I closed my eyes in an attempt to listen carefully, but I heard nothing. Feeling brave, I decided to open the door a little bit more and take a peek in the room. Gikwang was casually laying shirtless in the bed, the covers up to his waist, and typing on his laptop. He seemed engrossed in whatever was on his screen, so I quickly tried to leave but the door creaked causing Gikwang to look up and make eye contact with me. He smirked mischievously. “Come here, Jade,” he said, motioning for me to come in. I froze. He closed his laptop and leaned forward in bed, “that’s an order.”


	2. Double the Fun

As if being drawn by an unseen force, I quietly entered Gikwang’s room. His eyes never strayed from my naked body and I unconsciously tried to cover myself up. Gikwang smiled and leaned back, patting the empty space next to him on the bed. As I made my way to the other side of the bed, I couldn’t stop shaking. So far, Gikwang had been nothing but nice to me, but my gut was telling me something bad was going to happen. I crawled to the empty space next to him and sat silently, not looking up at him. He chuckled softly. “Lay down,” he said. Once I did, he turned on his side and gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He moved his hand from my chin to my cheek and began caressing it with his thumb. Still, I couldn’t stop shaking. “I’m so glad you came,” he then said, “I could never sleep after a shower. I need you, Jade.”

He got on his hands and knees and hovered above me, the location of his hands on either side of my head preventing escape. Without a word, he bent down and kissed me deeply on the lips. My body stopped shaking but my mind only had one thought: get him away. I tried to push him away, but his muscular arms didn’t budge. He sat back up and smirked. “Maybe you forgot, so I’ll let it go this one time,” he said, gripping my chin once more, “If you do as I say, I’ll reward you. But disobey me or reject me and I’ll break you.” There was no option left in his voice.

Tears returned to my eyes as Gikwang’s lips met my neck. I squirmed at the unfamiliar sensation as his teeth bit and sucked my skin. He sat down on my waist, allowing me to feel a hardening erection beneath his gym shorts. My tears streamed down my cheeks as I anticipated what was to come.

His right hand fondled my breast as Gikwang brought his lips back up to meet mine. After a minute, I felt his tongue lick my lips, begging me to open my mouth. I locked my jaw as tight as I could while his tongue parted my loose lips. As his right hand continued to play with my breast, his left hand grabbed my jaw and forcefully squeezed it. “Stop resisting me, Jade,” Gikwang whispered harshly between kisses. I squirmed again, refusing to give in to him. “Wrong move,” he said, letting go of my breast and seizing my hand. With his thumb, he harshly bent my forefinger sideways, causing me to scream in pain. He took that opportunity to jut is tongue into my mouth. All I could think of was the pain flooding my every thought, so I barely noticed him begin to rub my core. He inserted a finger in me and removed his tongue from my mouth and harshly sucked my nipples causing me to squirm once more. “Gikwang, stop, please!” I cried out.

“Not a chance, angel,” he growled, his mouth still on me. He slipped a second finger inside of me and pumped his fingers in and out, causing a warm sensation to envelop my groin. Why was I liking this? I didn’t want to give in to him, but my own body betrayed me. “You’re so wet,” he said, removing his mouth from my nipples and kissing his way down my stomach. As he inserted a third finger, his mouth began to suck on my mound causing me to gasp in both horror and pleasure. I wanted to tell him to stop but I couldn’t focus on anything except the pain in my finger. I couldn’t move it and it was quickly turning red.

Gikwang removed his hand from my insides and I thought I’d have a reprieve, but he instead started licking my center. Through half lidded eyes, I saw Gikwang swiftly remove his shorts and I cried out. “No! Please stop! I’m sorry!”

I could feel him grinning between my legs as he continued to jut his tongue in and out of me. His hand reached for his hardened member and he began to slowly pump it. “You taste so good, angel,” he mumbled, “You can scream all you want but no one is going to help you. I’m going to make you mine whether you want me to or not.”

Once he felt hard enough, he sat up and propped himself against my groin. I tried to close my legs, but he immediately forced them back open. It didn’t take long for him to position himself and, once he did, he plunged himself deep into me and threw his head back in ecstasy. I screamed and writhed around, futilely kicking the air. Without giving me time to adjust, he began to thrust at an alarming pace. He began to moan as tears streamed down my face. The most I could do to regain some decency was to attempt to cover my breasts with my arms. Soon, Gikwang’s lips returned to mine and he kissed me sloppily. His kiss didn’t last long as he laid down on top of me and held me tightly and with a few final thrusts, shot his stream into me. I cried out once again and wept into Gikwang’s shoulder.

He stayed there for a few minutes and gently kissed my cheek, ear, and neck as he let my crying subside. Once I had calmed down enough, he pulled out of me. He reached for some tissues that were on his nightstand and cleaned us up then laid back down on the bed next to me. I turned on my side, finally able to cover myself up again. “I’m done for the night, angel,” he whispered, sweetly petting my head, “You were good, Jade. Now go to sleep, okay?”

Turning off the light, Gikwang pulled the covers over my shivering body. I waited for what seemed like hours for Gikwang to do something else to me, but nothing else came. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

I don’t know what time it was when I had fallen asleep, but it was almost noon by the time I woke up. At first, I didn’t know where I was and then all of the memories of the previous night came back to me. I quickly turned around in bed, expecting to find a naked man next to me, but all I saw were empty covers. Looking down at myself, I saw a split neatly place on my finger. I examined it. Under the bandage, my finger still looked red, but it was now securely inside a bind.

Slowly, I got out of bed and walked over to the door. From the other side, I could hear the TV on, and my heart began to pound. I leaned against the door and took deep breaths, trying not to let the panic get to me. I began to wonder if I could perhaps live my entire life behind this door, that way, I wouldn’t get hurt but I was stupid. I took a final deep breath and slowly opened the door. To my right, Gikwang was sitting on the couch watching TV fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. As soon as I exited his room, he looked at me and smiled. “Finally awake, I see,” he said. I nodded but said nothing. “Come here, Jade.” Remembering the events of last night, I shook my head in fear. Gikwang raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. He muted the TV and got up, slowly coming over to me.

I backed up against the wall as Gikwang approached me. My breathing became heavy as he pressed his lips against mine and gripped my rear. Fondling my rear, he pressed his body against mine and tried to stick his tongue into my mouth. Fearing for the worst, I pushed him away and began to shake.

Suddenly, Gikwang’s fingers curled around my neck and he squeezed my throat. “I don’t like to be rejected, Jade,” he whispered, huskily. I clawed at his fingers in a last attempt to breathe. He continued, “I don’t want to hurt you, angel, but if you disobey me, I will. Do you understand?”

I nodded as best as I could and Gikwang finally let go of me. I collapsed on the floor and gasped for air. My body wouldn’t stop shaking and tears formed in my eyes. Gikwang knelt down in front of me and gently placed his hand on my cheek. His thumb caressed my face as he forced me to look up at him. “Does it hurt?” he asked calmly, looking at my neck. I nodded without a word. He placed light kisses on my neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered between kisses. I gulped with every kiss as his touches caused a slight sting to appear. He grabbed my wrist and looked at the finger with the splint. “Does this hurt, too?” he asked, kissing the bandage. Wordlessly, I nodded again. His lips made their way to the rest of my fingers and his mouth enveloped them one by one, sucking on each finger along the way. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said after a moment, “I tried to make it better, but my first aid isn’t that great.”

He turned his attention to my other hand and gently sucked on each hand he palmed my breast. I closed my eyes tightly and turned my head to the side. I didn’t want him touching me. I didn’t want to be in this place. I didn’t want to give him any satisfaction.

Suddenly, Gikwang stopped. I opened my eyes and turned my head to meet his. I couldn’t read his expression and it scared me. We stared at each other for a moment, silent and unmoving. His stare was hypnotic, and I found my heart beating faster than usual. My eyes wandered to Gikwang’s lips and I unexpectedly began to shiver and feel myself grow wet. Gikwang smiled and I thought he’d noticed. “Can you cook?” he asked. I was taken aback for a moment.

“Y-Yes,” I said nervously, “But I can’t cook Korean food well.”

Gikwang reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He looked at the screen then quickly put it back in his pocket. “It’s almost lunchtime and I’m hungry,” he said, “I want you to cook me something.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “You want me to cook?” I clarified. Gikwang chuckled. “W-What do you want me to cook?”

Gikwang shrugged. “Don’t care. Just make something especially for me, okay?” He smiled again with a wink and he kissed me quickly on the cheek. Once again, my heart pounded. Was Gikwang acting…cute?

I nodded my head and tried to rack my brain for any Korean recipes I knew. I willed my legs to move and after a moment, I staggered over to the kitchen on my left. I secretly hoped Gikwang would leave me alone as I cooked and go back to watching TV, but he followed behind me as I entered the kitchen, all the while, I felt him eyeing me. I entered the kitchen and grabbed a cookbook, flipping nervously through the pages. Would I be punished if he didn’t like my cooking? I hesitantly picked what I thought to be the easiest meal in the book and opened the fridge to pull out some of the ingredients. That’s when I felt it: Gikwang’s fingers slip inside me.


	3. Mixed Messages

“G-Gikwang,” I stuttered, holding on to the refrigerator door to steady myself.

His fingers wiggled inside of me. “Keep cooking,” he ordered. My eyes widened as he began to grope my breast with his free hand, and I closed the fridge. With my hands full, I tried to walk over to the counter and Gikwang followed, his own hands never leaving me. I put everything down on the counter and got out all of my utensils. As soon as I reached for a chef knife, Gikwang bit my ear. “Try anything funny with that and you’re dead,” he warned. I gulped but nodded. I hadn’t thought of doing anything besides cook with the knife so Gikwang’s comment made me extra nervous.

I began to chop the vegetables and I sensed Gikwang kneel behind me. His lips kissed my rear causing me to squeak in surprise. Gikwang chuckled, “Such a cute sound.” Soon, his mouth enveloped my backside as he inserted another finger in me. I had to pause and steady myself as the intensity overwhelmed me. I quickly regained my composure and reached over for a pot to boil water in. I filled it with water and turned the heat on the stove.

As I continued to prep ingredients, Gikwang removed his fingers. I heard a lewd sucking sound from behind me. “You taste so good, angel,” he said, “in fact, I think I want to taste you some more.” I didn’t have time to respond because a moment later, Gikwang knelt down and his tongue entered me from below. I tried to close my legs, but he grabbed them and forced me to open them wider. His tongue licked my insides causing my legs to shake in pleasure, his muscular arms holding me upright. I tried not to moan. I tried not to give Gikwang any sort of enjoyment, but my increasing arousal betrayed my emotions.

I started to shake and tears began to stream down my cheeks. “Gikwang,” I cried, “please stop. I don’t want this.”

I was surprised when Gikwang stopped. I heard him stand up and he pressed his body against mine. “What did you say?” he asked darkly. I could feel his breath on my ear, and it caused me to gulp in fear.

“Stop,” I whispered, trying to make myself seem small.

Displeased with my response, Gikwang pushed me over to the stove. He grabbed my hand and hovered it over the now-boiling water. Steam licked my skin and I subconsciously curled my fingers. “Still want me to stop?” he asked. I looked back at him. Through bleary eyes, I saw his lips curl in anger. His grip on me was tight but shaky. I wanted to say yes. I wanted him to stop, but I knew only one answer would save me. Silently, I shook my head. Gikwang smirked. “That’s right,” he said, “you want me to continue. But –” he lowered my hand into the boiling water for only a second causing me to yelp in pain before he pulled it back out, “I don’t like to be rejected, Jade.” He let go of my hand and I brought it to my mouth to suck on parts of the burn. “Keep cooking,” he then ordered.

Fearing for my life, I nodded and began to place my prepped ingredients into the boiling water. My hand throbbed. My palm had turned red and it hurt to bend or move it. I heard shuffling as Gikwang unzipped his pants behind me then he pressed his naked body against mine. He kissed the crook of my neck as his hands wandered across my chest and stomach. “I need you, Jade,” he whispered. His breathing was shallow as his hands made their way to my waist. I grabbed a spoon with my good hand and started to stir the pot. Gikwang took my bad hand and brought it up to his lips. He began to gently kiss each finger and made his way up my arm and then back to my neck where he made multiple marks on my skin. He sucked on one spot until I it was almost bruised and then he would move on to another spot on my neck or shoulder.

A small moan unwillingly reverberated from me causing him let go of me. I looked back. He positioned his member and then slowly inserted it into me from behind. I cried out at the sensation, but I didn’t all-together hate it. Unlike last night, Gikwang was slow and gentle. I heard him moan as he slid himself deeper into me. All I could do was lean over the counter and try not to make another sound.

The only sounds that could be heard were the sound of the boiling water and skin slapping against skin. Gikwang’s grunts and moaned peppered my ears as his pace quickened. “You’re so tight,” he groaned, “I could do you all day.” I sniffled as tears made their way onto the countertop. Gikwang wrapped an arm around my stomach and pulled me upright, then used his hand to make me look to the side. “Does this hurt?” he asked me. I shook my head honestly. He smiled and his lips met mine in a slow, passionate kiss, but I didn’t give in. Soon, he let go of me and his grunts became louder as he slammed into me, his pace becoming sloppy. I couldn’t help but cry out when his member twitched, and a stream of fluid entered me. Gikwang stayed like that for a minute as he made sure everything was out of him. “You were so good, angel,” he breathed, “I think I got my money’s worth out of you. You make me so horny.” He leaned forward and kissed my back before pulling out of me.

Once he was out, I collapsed onto the ground, sobbing and shaking. I didn’t want to be “good.” I didn’t want to be with Gikwang. He grabbed a paper towel and cleaned himself off before putting back on his clothes. He just looked at me as I sat there. “Finish cooking,” he ordered as he left the kitchen.

I couldn’t bring myself to stand up. My hand throbbed and my dignity was destroyed. I hated everything about this situation. I didn’t want to be there anymore. Need overcame will as soon as my pot started to boil over. I quickly got up, turned off the stove, and removed the pan from the hot cooktop. I turned on some water and let my hand cool off under it. The relief was almost instantaneous. Hopefully, this was only a first degree burn and I tried to hold back sobs of pain. After a few minutes, I turned off the water and tried to dab off the water. With only the use of one hand and tears falling down my cheeks, I continued to make Gikwang’s lunch.

Ten minutes later, I walked into the living room where Gikwang had returned to watching TV. “I’m done,” I announced.

Gikwang looked up at me and smiled. He got up and walked over to the table where I had laid out his food. “Sit,” he ordered, motioning to one of the chairs. I did as I was told. Gikwang then walked out of the room and into the bathroom. A few moments later, he returned with a box in his hand. He sat it down on the table and grabbed a hold of my arm, turning my burned palm face up. He opened the box and took out what appeared to be ointment or aloe. When he applied it to my hand, I sighed in relief. Gikwang smiled sweetly. My heart throbbed at his smile. “Feel good?” he asked. I nodded as he gently applied the gel to my hand, trying to ignore my mixed emotions. Once he finished, he put the gel away and took some gauze out of the box. Without a word, he carefully wrapped the gauze around my hand.

I didn’t know what was going on. Gikwang was an enigma. He would hurt me then turn around and try to make it all better. I stared at him as he concentrated on wrapping up my hand. He was gorgeous, there was no doubt about that. It made me wonder why he bought me when he could probably get any girl he wanted. “Done,” he soon said, putting the gauze away and letting go of my hand. I instinctively brought my hand to my chest. How and why Gikwang knew how to apply first aid to a burned hand, I didn’t want to think about. Eyeing me from the side, Gikwang then picked up the spoon I had set out for him and dipped it into the soup. “Open up,” he said to me, bringing me a spoonful of food. My eyes widened in shock, but I hesitantly opened my mouth. With a sweet smile, he blew on the soup to cool it down before putting it in my mouth.

I wasn’t the best chef, but the food tasted good. Gikwang took another spoonful, blew on it, and offered it to me once again. “N-No,” I quietly protested, “I made it for you.”

Gikwang used that moment to slip the spoon into my mouth. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll eat it, too.” He was right. The next spoonful was for him. He put it in his mouth and his eyes closed as he swallowed the soup. A small smile appeared on his face and he sighed. “Tastes good,” he said, then, he leaned closer, “but not as good as you.” He winked causing me to blush and look away from him. Gikwang laughed and continued to eat the soup. He had a sweet laugh that made me forget about all of the bad things for a moment. After a few more spoonsful, he returned to offering me the soup. For the remainder of the meal, he went back and forth feeding me and eating it himself until we had finished eating.

“Do your best to clean up, okay?” he said, patting me on the cheek. Without waiting for my response, he got up and walked into his bedroom. I gathered the bowl and silverware and brought it to the sink as Gikwang came out of his room with a few pairs of sneakers in his hands. With the only good hand, I began to clean the pot as well as all of the other dishes Gikwang had left by the sink. Gikwang kept entering and leaving his room with shoes but I paid no mind to him. As long as he wasn’t bothering me, I was okay with whatever he was doing.

I was drying off the last few utensils when Gikwang approached me from behind and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Jade,” he said, placing his chin on my shoulder. I stiffened. He placed a light kiss on my cheek. “When you’re done with that, I have another chore for you.” I tried to relax as I looked back at him. He smiled sweetly and kissed the crook of my neck. “You’re going to clean my shoes,” he added.

I blinked. “O-Okay,” I stammered. I wasn’t expecting that. He continued to hold onto me as I dried off the remaining utensils.

When I finished, he let go of me and intertwined his fingers with my non-burned hand. I didn’t want to give him any satisfaction by holding his hand back, but I couldn’t help but notice how nice his hands felt. While he was holding on to me while we were having sex, I never noticed that his skin was rough, and his long fingers made me feel oddly secure while they held onto me like that. Strangely, I didn’t want him to let go. “I think you’re underestimating how many shoes I have,” he laughed, “But don’t worry, I’ll help you get started.” Then, without waiting for me to respond, he dragged me out of the kitchen.


	4. Trapped

My mouth was agape. There was no way any one person could have these many shoes. I had taken out the deodorant, thrown them away, replaced them, cleaned off any visible dirt, and sprayed only about three pairs and I had about 75 more pairs of shoes to go. I only had one hand available to me, so it was a slow process. Gikwang had helped by bringing out the shoes and showed her what to do only once before he sat back on the couch and unmuted the TV. Gikwang looked at me occasionally as he watched the weatherman tell his audience that snow was in the forecast for tonight and to bundle up.

After about an hour and multiple breaks for my aching joints, Gikwang got off the couch and walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him, not bothering to mute the TV. “I don’t care, just do what I asked!” he yelled from his room. Something told Jade that he wasn’t talking to her and was instead on the phone. She decided to ignore him since she was already doing what he told her to do.

Moments later, Gikwang exited the room and sighed. I walked over to the remote, turned off the TV and approached Jade. He looked around at her progress and then knelt down in front of her. “I have to go to work now,” he said, “I’ll be back in a few hours. If you be good and do as your told, I’ll bring you a present, okay?”

I just stared at him. He patted my cheek and stood up, accepting of my decision to stay silent. Stepping over the shoes placed in rows around the living room, he headed to the front of the house. The front door opened and closed, then I heard the sound of multiple locks clicking into place. I waited for a minute, not even willing to breathe, before I ran to the front of the house and tried the door for myself. It wouldn’t open no matter how much I tried. I banged on the door in frustration.

I looked around for ideas. There was no other door that I knew of that led to the outside. I ran over to the patio and opened the door. I was screened in. Punching the screen, I soon discovered, yielded nothing in return. Snow began to fall to the ground causing me to shiver. I made my way back inside and decided to look for a phone. Gikwang’s room was the only logical place I could think to look. That place only brought back bad memories, but I tried to hold them back as I entered.

The room was pretty barren. He only had a large bed which I was already familiar with, a few things scattered on his floor, a coat rack, a nightstand, another TV, and a desk with a computer. I rushed over to the computer and tried to turn it on. Maybe I could email my parents and let them know my situation. Gikwang, though, was smart enough to password protect his computer. I didn’t know anything about Gikwang so there was no point in guessing what his password could be. Instead, I looked through the drawers in his desk. There was nothing useful inside of them.

Dejected, I decided it would be better to return to cleaning shoes than wasting time searching for a nonexistent means of escape. I was trapped.

It was nearing midnight when I heard the beeping of a keypad and Gikwang opened the door, obviously tired. I noticed he was carrying a large cardboard box that he placed at the end of the hallway after he took off his shoes. “Jade!” he called out, walking down the hallway, “I’m back!” He seemed to be panting a little, like he had been rushing to come home for some reason. He smiled when he saw me still spraying his shoes and approached me. He reached over and gripped my chin, leaned over, and gave me a kiss on my lips. “I missed you,” he said.

“I highly doubt that,” I replied, turning my attention to the last few shoes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gikwang playfully pout. “But I did, angel,” he said, getting up and sitting on the couch. He sighed and leaned his head back. After a moment of rest, he opened his eyes again and looked at me. “Come here, Jade,” he beckoned, motioning for me to come to him with his fingers. I put what I was holding down and walked over to him. He placed his hands on my hips and gently made me kneel down in front of him. I suddenly got a bad feeling in my stomach. “I got you a present,” he said with a smile, “But you have to do something else for me first before I give it to you.” He reached down to his pants and unzipped them, pulling down his pants and boxers, exposing his hardening member. “Suck it,” he ordered.

My eyes widened in shock. Gikwang looked at me expectedly but I remained motionless. He leaned forward and put his hand behind my head, pulling it towards him. I knew what he wanted me to do, but I kept my mouth closed. I looked up at him and Gikwang arched an eyebrow. He waited for a moment. Then, when he realized I wasn’t going to give in, he used his free hand to grab one of my nipples and twisted it harshly. I flinched and cried out in pain. He used that opportunity to force my mouth on his erection. He moaned in pleasure at the feeling and he bobbed my head up and down. With every thrust, I started to gag. Soon, my head started to clear, and I decided that now was the perfect time to get back at Gikwang.

I bit down on his shaft as hard as I could. Gikwang screamed and kicked me in the chest away from him. He curled up on the couch and groaned. He screamed as I tried to catch my breath. I couldn’t move. The adrenaline was coursing through me, but I didn’t know what to do with it. Soon, Gikwang got up. His face was red and his fists curled in anger. “Why you little –” He didn’t finish his sentence because the next thing I knew, Gikwang punched me in the jaw and I toppled over. Tears automatically formed in my eyes as my sight grew blurry. He then reached for my throat and squeezed it tightly, pulling me up to my knees once more. “You have made the biggest mistake of your life,” he seethed, “In fact, I should send you back and sell you to someone who won’t care for you as much as I do. But I won’t. You still have a job to finish and I’m horny.”

I coughed in an attempt to breathe but I obviously couldn’t breathe. I grabbed onto Gikwang’s arm and tried to pry his hand off of my throat. My vision was going dark and I gasped. In one swift motion, Gikwang put his erection back into my mouth and released my throat. “Suck it,” he yelled, “properly!” Giving up, I sucked it as best as I could. Apparently, it was good enough for Gikwang because he leaned his head back and sighed loudly. “That’s it, angel,” he moaned. The taste of my tears mixed with the taste of Gikwang as I sobbed quietly. He bit his lower lip as he moved his hips back and forth and I could tell he was getting close.

“Oh yeah,” he moaned loudly, his thrusting getting quicker. I tried to suppress my gag reflex as he pushed his erection deep into my throat. Then, he grabbed onto my head with both hands and grunted as he shot his seed into my mouth. “Swallow it,” he ordered. Having no other option, I tried my best to swallow his semen as his member became flaccid in my mouth. When he was done, he pulled out and knelt down in front of me. Without a word, he leaned forward and kissed me deeply, jutting his tongue inside my mouth to taste himself. He placed his hands on either side of my head and held me steady. Still, I refused to return his kiss, but he didn’t seem to mind. After a minute, he pulled away from me and licked his lips. “I’m done for now,” he said softly, caressing my cheek and pulling his pants back up.

I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I simply got up and ran to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I laid on my bed, curled into a ball, and began to sob. My whole body seemed to ache, and I had only been with Gikwang for a day. I didn’t want to even think about what was in store for me later. Would I even live long enough for there to even be a later?

There was a sudden knock on my door. “Jade,” Gikwang called out.

“Go away!” I screamed.

The door opened regardless, and I heard Gikwang enter the room. He didn’t say anything just yet. Instead, I felt something large get placed on the end of my bed. I quickly tried to wipe my tears away and looked over and saw the cardboard box that Gikwang had brought home. He looked at me. “It’s clothes,” he explained, “I got your sizes from the people I bought you from. They’re yours if you want them.” That must have been who Gikwang was yelling at earlier on the phone.

I uncurled myself and crawled over to the box. Opening the lid, I looked inside at the contents. It was packed with what appeared to be high-quality clothes and undergarments for multiple occasions. I looked up at Gikwang and then back at the contents of the box. I sniffed. “Why are you giving these to me?” I asked.

Gikwang shrugged, “I can take them back if you don’t want them.”

He pretended to grab the box, and, like a fool, I tried to stop him, placing my hands on top of his. “No!” I objected. Gikwang smiled playfully. We both looked down at my hands and I quickly removed them. “I-I mean, thanks,” I added.

He nodded and left the room without a word. I sat there for a moment, puzzled. Was Gikwang a good person who did bad things? Or was he a bad person who did good things? It was difficult to tell.

A moment later, he returned with an ice pack in his hand. He sat down next to me on the bed and gently dabbed it on the cheek he had punched earlier. I hissed at the sensation. “It’s okay,” he reassured me. He then placed the whole ice pack on my cheek, and I sighed. I looked at him, completely confused. His eyes were soft and held no malice behind them. I wanted to know what he was thinking behind those eyes.

“Gikwang,” I managed to say. He looked at me but didn’t reply. “Why do you keep doing things like this?”

“Things like what?” he asked innocently.

I sighed. “This,” I moved the ice pack currently on my face to emphasize my point. “You hurt me and then you try to make it all better.”

Gikwang’s eyes shifted as he tried to think of an answer. He then looked up at me. “Don’t worry about it,” he responded. He leaned forward and kissed the top of my head, then stood up. “Ice it twenty minutes on, then twenty minutes off.” I nodded, confused by his behavior once again. He started to leave the room but paused and turned back around. “Try to get some sleep,” he said, then he left the room and closed the door behind him.

I sat there for a while. My tears had lessened, but the pain was still very much there. I laid back down and positioned the ice pack so it wouldn’t fall off my face. I was bewildered by how Gikwang had been acting. It was as if he were really two different people: one who was caring and sweet, and the one who was spiteful. Obviously, I preferred the caring and sweet Gikwang, but it was difficult to tell when he’d turn vicious again.

Twenty minutes had passed, so I took the ice pack off my face and placed it on the nightstand next to me. I then got under the covers and pulled them close to my face. As I turned off the light, I silently prayed for this torturous life to stop.


	5. Friends and Enemies

“Jaein,” a familiar voice whispered. I twitched a little but refused to open my eyes. “Jaein,” the voice repeated. I felt a soft petting on my head which made it harder for me to want to respond. I knew that voice, I just couldn’t place it. “It’s time to wake up, Jaein,” the voice then said.

Finally, I recognized it. “Dad?” I asked, my eyes still closed.

The voice chuckled. “Not quite,” it said, “but I can be your daddy if that’s what turns you on.”

At that strange comment, my eyes opened. Gikwang was sitting on my bed in front of me, gently stroking my hair. I rolled over and covered my head with the blanket to hide my embarrassment at that comment. “Only my parents call me Jaein,” I said from under the covers.

Gikwang ripped the covers off my body causing me to squirm in defiance. He leaned over and I saw him smile. “Well, you’re mine now,” he said coolly, “I don’t see why I can’t call you by your real name.” I groaned and tried to close my eyes again. Gikwang kissed my cheek. “Get up,” he ordered, “We’re leaving in 30 minutes.”

Finally, I sat up. “Where are we going?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“I’m taking you to work with me today,” he replied. He reached up and tried to straighten out my bedhead. “So hurry up,” he added. He then pecked my forehead, got up, and left my room.

I had been living with Gikwang for a whole week and this was the first morning where Gikwang didn’t want to have sex with me. I was both relieved and confused. Gikwang continued to perform first aid on me daily, so my hands were now healed enough that I didn’t need any sort of bandage or splint on them. That was probably why he waited until now to take me out. He didn’t want anyone to wonder how I grew to become injured.

I sighed and looked at the clock. Back in America, I would have gotten up at this time anyway, but I seemed to be even more tired than normal. It was probably because of all of the sex or the time difference. Either way, I sluggishly got out of bed and began to get ready for my day.

Thirty-one minutes later, Gikwang and I were in his car, driving to an unknown location. I took this opportunity to look out the window since I hadn’t seen any of Korea since arriving. Honestly, it was nothing like the dramas. The weather made everything look dull and gray, but the buildings were as tall as I imagined. Since public transportation was common, people packed the sidewalks on their way to and from various locations around the city.

“Hey, Gikwang,” I said, looking over at him. His eyes remained fixed on the road. “Where are we?”

“Seoul,” he answered bluntly.

I smiled. I wasn’t familiar with the various districts of Seoul, so I didn’t really mind his broad answer. I did know, however, that Seoul was one of the largest cities in the world in terms of population, and it showed. I sat back in my seat and sighed audibly in amazement. Gikwang reached over and tried to grab a hold of my hand, but I quickly pulled it away. He scoffed but said nothing.

“Hey, Gikwang,” I said again. He didn’t reply. I figured he was probably getting mad at me for avoiding him. “What exactly do you do?”

He looked over at me and smirked. “Hold my hand, and I’ll tell you,” he said, holding out his hand for me. I hesitated. Did I really need to know his job that badly? Gikwang scowled and took my hand regardless. “I’m a model,” he finally said, “We’re going to a photoshoot.” I stared at him in awe. I knew he was gorgeous, but I never thought that he was an actual model. He chuckled, “You seem surprised.” I snatched my hand away, half embarrassed and half grumpy that he took it without permission and returned my gaze to the scenery out the window.

I didn’t know how much time had passed before we parked in front of a large gymnasium. Suddenly, Gikwang grabbed my wrist and twisted it uncomfortably. “Listen close, angel,” he warned, “outside of this car, you’re my girlfriend. But once we’re alone, you’re my belonging. Tell anyone about your situation, and I’ll kill you. Do I make myself clear?” He glared at me as if that would somehow help the message get through to me. I nodded and he let go of my arm.

We both got out of the car and headed inside the building. Loud music echoed throughout the entire building and the first thing Gikwang did was go greet the director and assistant director. “Ah, Gikwang,” the director said, “you’re the last model to arrive. Hair and make-up are waiting for you.” Gikwang nodded with a polite smile. The director looked at me. “And who is this lovely young lady?” he asked.

Gikwang put his arm around me and I tensed up. “This is my girlfriend, Jade,” he replied, “She’s just going to stand in the back and watch. Right?” He looked at me, his eyes a clear warning to agree. I nodded and bowed my head respectfully.

“It’s nice to meet you,” the director said to me.

With another bow, Gikwang turned away and led me down a hallway in the corner of the room. Three boys about Gikwang’s age were sitting in the room, talking to each other. One was in a chair getting his hair and make-up done, and two of them were playing with a phone. The two boys with the camera stopped and looked at us. “Gikwang,” one of the boys said, “Who’s this?”

They put the phone down on a nearby table and approached us. I bowed politely. “Hello,” I said, “My name is Hyong Jade. I’m—”

“She’s my girlfriend,” Gikwang interrupted.

Their jaws dropped. One of the boys grinned broadly. “I’m Yang Yoseob,” he introduced himself in English, “Are you from America?” I nodded. 

“My name is Yoon Doojoon,” the second boy said in a heavily accented version of English.

I chuckled, “It’s nice to meet you, but I speak Korean.”

They both sighed, relieved that they didn’t have to speak English. Yoseob pushed Gikwang out of the way and put his arm playfully around my shoulders. He pointed to the boy getting his hair and makeup done. “That’s boy over there is Son Dongwoon. He’s the youngest of us,” he said. Dongwoon waved but didn’t look at us. “He can’t talk right now, but he’s really awesome,” Yoseob explained.

Gikwang forced Yoseob’s arm off of me. “Stop touching my girl!” Gikwang pouted.

“Oh shut up!” Yoseob retorted playfully, “You need to get your hair and makeup done. Doojoon and I will take care of Jade, I promise.” Yoseob pulled me back away from Gikwang then shooed Gikwang toward the chair next to Dongwoon.

I was impressed by Yoseob. I didn’t think Gikwang would listen to anyone, but he listened to Yoseob with no backtalking. “H-H-How long have you guys known Gikwang?” I asked the two boys.

Yoseob smiled. “I’ve known him since high school, but they’ve only known him for about ten years.” He motioned to Doojoon and Dongwoon. “What about you? How long have you known him?”

I hesitated and glanced at Gikwang for guidance. I could see him peeking over at us, but he said nothing. “N-Not long,” I managed to say. Thankfully, Yoseob didn’t pry any further. He began to ask me other questions about myself as we waited for Dongwoon to finish up.

When he was done, he joined us in the corner. “Hello,” he said with a bow, “I am the handsome one, Dongwoon.”

I smirked. “Hello Handsome One,” I said playfully. I snuck a peek at Gikwang and saw him glaring at us through the mirror. I chose to ignore him and focused instead on the only three people who had been nice to me since I arrived in Korea.

A young lady then poked her head into the room. “We’re ready to start doing individual shots whenever you’re ready,” she announced.

The three boys got up and followed her out of the room. I didn’t know what I should do so I stood there, still. Yoseob was the only one to notice I wasn’t following, and he approached me. “Come on, Jade,” he said, taking my hand, “you can come watch us.”

I nodded to Yoseob and followed him into a room with an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Dongwoon, Doojoon, and I stayed back while Yoseob went toward a tall chair for lifeguards that was sitting next to a bench in front of the camera.

Suddenly, the two boys next to me started cheering. I didn’t know why until I looked over at Yoseob who was standing on the lifeguard chair and had casually placed the bottom of his tank top in his mouth, exposing his toned stomach for the camera. I felt my face flush, but I couldn’t look away. He did a few poses for the camera from different angles but didn’t put his shirt down. I couldn’t quite determine what this was a photoshoot for: clothes or abs.

Once the director was satisfied with that pose, Yoseob moved on to the bench. Still keeping his shirt in his mouth, he casually laid down and, once again, posed for the camera. They took about 20 pictures before the director said Yoseob was finished for now. Yoseob got up and winced. “I’m getting a stomach cramp,” he whined.

I chuckled as he put his shirt down and got up. He approached me. “What did you think?” he asked. “I mean, not as good as Gikwang’s abs, but I’ve been working hard on them!”

“Hey!” Doojoon interrupted, “Don’t make her answer that!” I silently thanked Doojoon for saving me the embarrassment of having to talk about Yoseob’s abs. “Besides,” he added, “it’s my turn now. Come on.”

I followed Doojoon and the rest of the crew to a locker room. The director had set up the camera so that it faced some kickboards in the corner of the room. He spoke to Doojoon who nodded and got on a mat on the floor next to the kickboards.

“He looks really uncomfortable,” I whispered to Dongwoon, who was standing next to me, watching.

“In the modeling world,” he whispered back, “pain is beauty.”

I nodded, noting how natural Doojoon made sitting uncomfortably look. Noticing how dark it was in the room, I took a gander at the monitor the director was looking at. Doojoon had somehow made his awkwardness look natural.

After a while, it was Dongwoon’s turn. We went back into the pool area and Dongwoon was asked to stand in the hot tub in front of another rack of kickboards. Why they had him keep his shoes on, I’ll never know.

As I was watching Dongwoon pose, a pair of arms snaked around me and a chin rested on my shoulder. “Miss me?” Gikwang suddenly whispered. Surprised, I whipped around to see Gikwang wearing nothing but swim shorts, shoes, and an unzipped jacket. He grabbed my hips and pulled me close to him. “Don’t act so scared,” he whispered, “Remember, right now you’re my girlfriend.”

I nodded and tried to relax. Thankfully, I didn’t have to do or say anything because Doojoon came up to us and elbowed Gikwang playfully. “Hey, watch this,” he chuckled.

We watched him make a large circle around the area and snuck behind the rack of kickboards behind Dongwoon. The set laughed as he begged the director to take a picture like that. The photographer complied and we all gathered around the director as we looked at the photobombed photo.

Since he was the last one to arrive, Gikwang was the last to get his solo shots taken. He kissed my cheek and let go to approach a larger rack of kickboards. As Gikwang began to pose, Doojoon – still on a mischievous high – borrowed one of the cameras and began to take a video of Gikwang himself. He went around trying to get everyone in the video. I made my way to the far wall to get out of the photo.

Throughout his shoot, Gikwang kept looking at me. Every time he did, I would look down at the ground. Looking at him made me feel embarrassed for some reason. Yoseob then ran up to me. “Jade,” he cheered, “are you okay?” I nodded. He grabbed my hands and continued, “Once Gikwang is done with his shoot, we have a group shot and then it’s time for lunch. After lunch, we have the second half. Think you’ll be okay until lunch at least?”

I nodded once again. “I think I’m just tired,” I lied. I didn’t know how to tell him that seeing Gikwang shirtless reminded me of the past week. The director then called Yoseob over to the group. Yoseob smiled and squeezed my hands reassuringly before he waved and walked over to a corner where they had set up the majority of the swimming gear.

A few minutes later, they were done with the first half of the photoshoot. Gikwang ran up to me and smiled. “What did you think?” he asked eagerly.

“I didn’t know how interesting the modeling world was,” I said. I couldn’t look down at his shirtless upper half, so that was the best answer I could come up with. Gikwang seemed satisfied with my answer and he grabbed my hand. We walked back to the hair and makeup room where they had a variety of lunch boxes piled up on a table.

Everyone picked up a lunch box and sat around on the chairs provided; Gikwang obviously sitting next to me even though I wanted to sit next to Yoseob and away from Gikwang.

“So Jade,” Dongwoon said, pulling up a chair in front of us, “If you’re from America, what are you doing in Korea?”

I thought for a moment. I wasn’t allowed to say I was Gikwang’s property. “I’m a college student,” I said, telling a partial truth. I did come to Korea for college. “I got accepted to Seoul Women’s University.” I decided telling partial truths was better than telling lies. I had been accepted there – I just didn’t attend. 

Gikwang almost choked on his food. “What?” he coughed, “I didn’t know that!”

Yoseob laughed. “How could you not know that?” he asked playfully, “Aren’t you two dating?”

Gikwang shrugged. “Hey, it’s not my fault we spend most of our time having sex!”

My face turned bright red. The three boys suddenly stopped eating and starred at us. “I-I-I have to use the bathroom,” I said, suddenly standing up, “Anyone know where it is?”

Dongwoon was the first one to continue eating. “Past the swimming pool, to the left,” he answered with his mouth full.

I nodded and quickly left the room. I lied. I didn’t have to go to the bathroom, I really just had to get away from that awkward situation. When I reached the bathroom, I didn’t actually go. Instead, I splashed water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror. I hated Gikwang, but I liked his friends - Yoseob in particular. I think he was the first real friend I had made since being in Korea. I didn’t want Gikwang to ruin that.

As soon as I exited the bathroom, I almost bumped into someone. I stopped short and put my hand on my chest, surprised. It was the assistant director. He was leaning against the wall right outside the bathroom door. Almost as if he were waiting for me.

“Jade, right?” he asked. I nodded.

He extended his hand out for me to shake. “Kim Taeyoo,” he introduced, “I’m the assistant director.” He forcefully grabbed my hand and shook it but didn’t let go. He pulled me over to him. “Listen,” he said, “I’ve known Gikwang for many years and he’s never brought a girl with him to a photoshoot before.” He swiftly switched our places, so I was against the wall and he was pressed up against me. He brought my arm up against the wall and held me in place while he used his free hand to caress my cheek. “I want to know what makes you so special,” he whispered.

I didn’t like where this was going. I started to scream, but he placed his palm over my mouth. My muffled cry ended up blending in with the overhead music. He let go of my hand and undid his pants. I tried to push him away, but he was sturdy in his hold. Once his pants were off, he reached for mine. I tried to scream. I tried to claw at him and push him away. It was all useless. No one was walking around this part of the building. We were alone. No one was going to save me.

He finally let go of my mouth and his grip returned to both of my wrists and held them above of my head with one hand so I could no longer fight back. “Stop!” I managed to scream before his lips crashed onto mine.

My eyes widened in horror. His worm-like lips stayed static as I saw him pump his member with his free hand. I tried to turn my head, but his lips followed me with incredible speed and I never even got a chance to breathe. After a minute, something large slipped into me from below causing me to scream. Taeyoo groaned and I almost gagged. Unlike with Gikwang, there was no pleasure. There was only pain and humiliation.

Through my t-shirt, he tried to fondle my breasts, but it was more like he was palming a trampoline. Realizing the futility of it, he instead brought his hand down to squeeze my rear, causing me to gasp. He used that opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. His tongue jutted down my throat, causing me to choke. He didn’t care. He continued to plunge into me as tears fell down my face. I closed my eyes and silently prayed for someone to come and rescue me from this horrible man.

His thrusts became quicker and I whined in agony. Nothing about him was arousing so I was completely dry inside. A few moments later, his thrusts stopped as he started to ejaculate. He moaned in ecstasy while I sobbed in indignation. Finally, he moved his mouth away from me. “I think I get why he brought you here,” he panted.

He let go of my wrists and pulled himself out of me, not bothering to clean up. My vision was blurry, but my anger was almost palpable. I quickly pulled up my pants and kicked him in the groin as hard as I could. Then I ran. I didn’t know what would happen when I got back to the others. I didn’t know if I should say that I was sexually assaulted by the assistant director or not. If I did, Gikwang would be out of a job. It wasn’t fair to him.

For the second time that day, I almost ran into someone as I turned the corner. “Jade?” the person said. I stopped running and turned around. It was Gikwang. “What happened?” he asked, “You were gone a while, so I came looking for you.” Without responding, I threw myself into his arms and started sobbing. He was startled so it took him a minute to process what was happening, but he tightly embraced me, nonetheless. It was the first time I had ever hugged him, and it felt comforting. At that moment, I knew I could trust him. “Jade, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

“K-K-Kim T-Taeyoo,” I managed to say. Gikwang arms gently caressed my back in a clamming motion as he waited for me to finish my sentence. But I couldn’t.

“What about me?” Taeyoo’s voice suddenly said from behind, “I didn’t do anything!”

I let go of Gikwang and glared at Taeyoo as he hobbled over and stopped right behind Gikwang and me. “Don’t lie!” I screamed, “You raped me!”

Gikwang’s body suddenly tensed. “He what?” he asked darkly. I looked back at Gikwang then stood behind him. His eyes were murderous, but not toward me. His question was rhetorical because, in a flash, his hand was tight around Taeyoo’s throat. Taeyoo gagged. “Did you hurt my girl?” Gikwang seethed.

Taeyoo clawed at Gikwang’s arm, his face quickly turning a dark red.

“Gikwang,” I whispered, holding onto his arm. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of me – especially if Gikwang could lose his job.

Gikwang looked back at me. His eyes showed how conflicted he was. Suddenly, he unclasped his hand and Taeyoo fell to the floor, gasping. Gikwang glared at him. “If I ever see you next to my girl again,” he threatened, “I’ll kill you.” He grabbed my hand and, without another word, dragged me down the hall. I didn’t have time to cry anymore. Instead, I did my best to keep up with his long, angry, strides.

We continued walking through the building. Gikwang’s hold on me became tighter the angrier he became. I didn’t know why he was so angry. Taeyoo only did the same thing Gikwang had done to me a dozen times before. Was it because it was Taeyoo who did it? Or was it because of some other reason?

Everyone was still eating lunch when we returned to where the photoshoot was taking place. No one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary until Gikwang stormed past everyone and grabbed his belongings.

“Where are you going?” Yoseob asked, “We’re not done here yet.”

“I quit,” Gikwang replied. My eyes widened in shock. Everyone else seemed to have the same reaction as me because most of them stopped what they were doing and starred at us. Gikwang ignored everyone and looked at the director. He bowed his head. “I’m sorry,” he stated, “I’ll return your clothes tomorrow.” Without waiting for an answer, he dragged me out of the building.

When we got to the car, I yanked my hand out of his. “What is wrong with you?” I yelled. Gikwang looked back at me. “Why did you quit?”

“Get in the car,” he ordered, not answering my question. He began to walk to the driver’s side, and he opened the car door.

I crossed my arms across my chest. “No,” I replied. Gikwang froze and looked at me. He slowly closed the door. “Not until you answer my question,” I continued.

He approached me, his gaze never leaving my eyes. He stopped once his body was pressed up against mine. He placed both hands on the side of my head and pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry,” he apologized softly, “I didn’t mean to put you in danger.”

I don’t know what about that sentence made me do it, but I began to cry once again. Gikwang let go of my head and wrapped his arms around me in a comforting hug. I cried into his shoulder, not caring that his designer clothes were getting ruined. “I was so scared,” I sobbed, “I tried to scream, but no one could hear me. I just didn’t want him to touch me. I’m sorry, Gikwang.”

“It’s okay,” he whispered, stroking my back, “I’m not mad at you. Don’t worry. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

We stayed like that for a long time; unmoving and uncaring about the world around us. Eventually, Gikwang let go of me and wiped the tears from my face. “Let’s go home, okay?” he said. I nodded solemnly. He led me to the car, opened the door, and let me slip in. He closed the door behind me and walked over to the driver’s side. Before starting the car, he looked at me. His expression was sad, and I didn’t know why. I ended up spending the entire car ride home looking out the window in silence.

When we got home, I followed Gikwang into the house where I immediately ran into my room and slammed the door behind me. Gikwang, thankfully didn’t follow me. The car ride was silent but not awkward. He didn’t try anything or even look at me. For once, I almost missed Gikwang.

I ran into my bathroom and stripped off my clothes, turning on the shower in the process. I didn’t even bother waiting for the water to get warm. I got in and reached for the soap. Scrubbing off Taeyoo’s impure fingerprints was the only logical thing I could think to do. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I could no longer feel clean. I no longer felt like myself. Without meaning to, I began to sob. My skin was becoming raw and the soap was diminishing quickly. I knelt down and let the water beat against my skin. The warm water allowed my muscles to relax and the pounding water was like a massage. It felt good. But I knew it couldn’t last.

After what seemed like an eternity, I managed to get out of the shower and put on some of the pajamas that Gikwang had given me a week ago. I stepped out of the bathroom and threw myself onto the bed. It was quiet in the house, so I assumed Gikwang had already gone to bed. I figured I’d try to do the same. I turned off the lights and closed my eyes.

Visions of the event that occurred replayed over and over in my head. Each time, I couldn’t escape from Taeyoo’s poisonous grasp. The psychical and emotional pain were torturous, and I started to wonder why this time, I reacted so differently to whenever Gikwang did the same thing to me. This time, the pain wasn’t Gikwang’s fault, but I knew that he could help make this all better. Just like he always did.

As quietly as I could, I got out of bed and made my way to Gikwang’s room. When I opened the door, he was already asleep. I took a deep breath before approaching him. “Gikwang,” I whispered.

He slowly opened his eyes. When he saw I was standing next to his bed, he sat up. “Jade?” he clarified, “What’s wrong?”

I looked around, nervous. Was this really the best thing for me to do? Gikwang just looked at me. “I-I don’t want to be alone,” I muttered.

Gikwang smiled and moved over to other side of his bed. He shifted his covers and patted the now empty space next to him. Immediately, I crawled in next to him. Gikwang wrapped his arms around me and we both laid down. Taking in his scent, I clung to his t-shirt in a desperate plea for company. “It’s okay, angel,” he said, “I’m here. I won’t leave you.” I began to shake violently. I felt like a wreck. Gikwang rested his chin on top of my head as he began to gently stroke my hair. “Shh,” he said soothingly, “I’m not going to hurt you, Jade. Your safe.”

After a moment, I felt myself begin to calm down. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the soft petting were soothing to me. I took a deep breath. I wanted to get drunk in this comforting moment, but I knew it could never last.

“Besides,” he then whispered, “I think I’m starting to fall in love with you.”


	6. Sexercise

I couldn’t sleep much that night. Every time I closed my eyes, the nightmare of the previous day plagued my inner thoughts. Throughout the night, I kept crying and shaking. Gikwang turned out to be a light sleeper and would wake up whenever he heard me cry. Each time, he would wrap his arms around me and silently hold me. His embrace made me feel so secure. I wanted to stay with him all night in that serene moment, but, with Gikwang, I knew it wouldn’t last.

The sun had been up for a while when Gikwang opened his eyes. When he saw me still lying next to him, he smiled sweetly and kissed my forehead. “Morning, angel,” he whispered, “how are you feeling?”

“Like I was raped by the assistant director of your photoshoot yesterday,” I mumbled, not looking Gikwang in the eyes.

Gikwang placed his hand on my cheek and kissed my lips. It was probably the gentlest kiss he’d ever given me, but I flinched at the contact and moved back. Gikwang stared at me. His eyes were unreadable. He brought his hand back and slowly sat up, letting the clovers fall off his body. I watched him stretch his arms and back out, then I pulled the remaining covers over my face and closed my eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. I heard Gikwang chuckle then the covers were forcefully pulled from my body. The bed shifted and I felt his presence over me. I opened my eyes only to find Gikwang hovering on top of me. I could feel the heat from his body radiating onto mine. “Jade,” he moaned. I could feel his bulge pressing against me. “I was so good yesterday, Jade,” he whispered. He began to suck and lick on my neck and chin. “Let me make you feel better.”

I began to squirm, and I closed my eyes tight. “Stop,” I murmured, “I don’t want this.” I felt tears return to my eyes, recalling yesterday.

Reluctantly, and to my surprise, Gikwang stopped. I opened my eyes once again and looked at him. I could tell he was conflicted. His eyes wandered up and down my body but stopped when he returned to my face. “I can’t resist you,” he whispered, “But I don’t want to hurt you.” He sat up and pulled me upright with him. He held me close and pet my hair. “You’re mine,” he said, “no one else can have you.”

Embarrassed, I pushed Gikwang away. He didn’t seem angry like I expected. Instead, he showed no emotion. He got up and, without a word, walked into his en suite bathroom. When he closed the door, I placed my hand over my beating chest and sighed deeply. What was going on with me? Gikwang was my rapist. He was a demon. Why was he acting like that with me? Why did he confess feelings for me the night before? I’d only known him for a week. Why was this happening?

Once my heart settled down, I got out of bed and made my way to my own room. After washing my face, I decided to get dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt. It was almost December, so Korea was starting to get chilly. In California, I could usually wear shorts all year, but Korea was different. In fact, it was supposed to snow sometime this week and I was almost anticipating it.

After a while, Gikwang called out to me. I took a deep breath to ready myself and exited my room. Gikwang was in the kitchen, preparing something. I was surprised because I’m the one who usually cooked. He looked over at me and motioned for me to join him. I honestly wasn’t in the mood to do anything, but I reluctantly walked over to him. I stopped a few feet away from him so he couldn’t touch me. I wasn’t expecting him to hand me a banana.

I arched my brow and took the banana out of his hand. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to do something sexual with it, so I just looked at it, confused. “What do you want me to do with this?” I asked.

Gikwang let out the tiniest laugh and smirked. “I want you to eat it,” he said, biting into a peach.

I looked back and forth between the banana and Gikwang. I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere, perverted, or dumb. Either way, I didn’t want to play into his trap. “I-I’d rather have the apple,” I stuttered, pointing to an apple on the counter. Gikwang followed my motion and looked at the apple. Without missing a beat, he shrugged and grabbed the apple, tossing it to me. For once, I figured Gikwang wasn’t thinking perverted thoughts.

He soon proved me wrong when he approached me and grabbed by rear, squeezing it a little. I jumped, causing Gikwang to smirk playfully. “Change into something more flexible,” he ordered, looking me up and down. Without waiting for me to reply, he walked out of the kitchen.

I looked down at my outfit. I figured jeans and a t-shirt would be something acceptable, but Gikwang didn’t seem to think so. I bit into my apple, put the banana down onto the counter, and headed back into my room to change.

Continuing to munch on my apple, I looked through my stockpile of clothes to see what would be considered as ‘flexible’ and why I’d need to change in the first place. I managed to find yoga pants and I changed into those, keeping my shirt the same, then I walked back out of the room. Gikwang was in front of the TV, placing a yoga mat down on the floor. I hurried up to finish my apple and tossed the core in the garbage can. Gikwang looked me up and down as I approached him. “Much better,” he grinned.

“What are you doing?” I asked, hesitantly.

Gikwang grabbed my arm and stood me on the yoga mat. “We,” he emphasized, “are going to exercise.”

I arched my eyebrow. “Why?”

He placed his hands on my hips and casually brought them to my rear. I felt myself wanting to shiver, but I held back. “Exercise helps your mood,” he stated, “Besides, I need to get a workout in for the day.”

I pushed Gikwang’s arms away and shuffled awkwardly. “I don’t want to work out,” I stated.

Gikwang simply smiled and grabbed a hold of my hands. “Then just do as I say while I work out by myself,” he stated with a smile. He then sat down and brought me down to the floor with him. I squatted in front of him while he lay on the floor, his knees propped up. “Hold my legs,” he ordered. I did as I was told and securely wrapped my arms around his muscular legs. Smoothly, Gikwang began to do sit ups. He counted under his breath and, each time he would sit upright, he stopped his face right in front of mine and stared hungrily at my lips. By the time he got to twenty, I was certain he would do something, but he instead laid back down and took a small break before doing another set. He did three sets of sit ups before he said I could let go of his legs. “Your turn,” he breathed heavily.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to,” I said.

Gikwang didn’t seem to like that answer. “I’m not only working out for my benefit,” he replied, still trying to catch his breath, “I’m doing this to help you feel better. Trust me.” I wanted to laugh. Why would I want to ‘trust’ Gikwang? So far, being with Gikwang has brought me nothing but pain. Before I could retort, he grabbed a hold of my wrist and pulled me over to him. “Come here,” he said, patting his lap. Begrudgingly, I crawled over to him and straddled his lap. Gikwang smirked sexily but remained focused. “Just do ten sit ups,” he ordered, “I’ll help.”

I took a deep breath as I felt Gikwang position his hands on my back. Slowly, I leaned back, allowing Gikwang’s arms to support my weight. When I felt as though I’d gone down far enough, I slowly returned to the upright position – my face a mere inch from Gikwang’s. I could feel his breath on my face as he counted, “One.” Not wanting to be that close to him, I went back down to do another sit up. At the sixth one, I could feel something hard press against my groin and I knew Gikwang was starting to get aroused from our close contact. I silently prayed that nothing would happen once I reached ten. I don’t know what Gikwang was thinking, but this type of exercise wasn’t helping my mood at all.

“Good job, angel,” Gikwang said as I reached my tenth sit up. Thankfully, his erection wasn’t as hard as it usually was, but it was still noticeable. He let go of my back and leaned backwards, moving his legs so his knees were upright once again. “This time, all you have to do is sit there,” he stated.

Using me as a weight on his groin, Gikwang started doing reverse pushups. He started out normally, but the longer he did them, the more aroused I could tell it was making him. I could hear him groan every time he pushed up and his hips rotated a little to get some friction between our bodies. I tried to look away as he bit his lip, but, for some reason, my eyes kept wandering back to him.

After a while, he sat back down and took a deep breath. His brow was beginning to glisten, but he didn’t seem like he was tired. “Lay down,” he ordered. At first, I didn’t have any qualms with laying down since I was tired, so I got off his lap and laid on my back. I started feeling relaxed until Gikwang hovered above me with a smirk on his face. My breathing became ragged. I wanted to push him away from me as I recalled yesterday’s events. Gikwang seemed to recognize my discomfort. “You okay, Jade?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t like this,” I admitted.

Gikwang’s smirk was replaced with a sincere smile. He brought his knees forward and sat down for a moment, placing a hand on my cheek. “You’re okay,” he assured me, “I’m not going to hurt you.” I looked into his eyes and he stroked my cheekbone with his thumb. “Just relax, okay?”

I took a deep breath and nodded my head. I figured that if Gikwang were to do something to me, the location wouldn’t matter to him. Gikwang’s eyes turned into crescents as he smiled sweetly. He got back into his position above me. He took a breath to get into the right mindset, then he lowered his body, stopped when he was just about to touch my body with his, lightly kissed the tip of my nose, then brought his body back up. He was doing push-ups, but each time lowered his body, he would kiss a different part of my face, but he never kissed my lips.

He did a few reps of push-ups and then he stopped. “Do you want to try?” he asked. I shook my head and he chuckled. He moved away from on top of me and I sat upright. Gikwang looked around, then got up when he found what he was looking for. He walked over to his patio and opened the door, letting the chilly winter air enter the warm house. He grabbed a large stationary bike that was sitting outside and dragged it towards the opening of the door. “Here,” he said, stretching out his back a little, “why don’t you exercise on this for a while? I’m going to do a more intense workout now.” Even though I was exhausted, I nodded, got up, and approached the bike. Once he got me situated, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and headed back into the house.

For once, I got to admire the beautiful landscape of South Korea. I remembered looking at photos of Seoul before I came, and I recalled a city packed to the brim with apartments and stores. Gikwang seemed to want his privacy, however, since he was living a good distance away from the major city. I could see a large snow-covered mountain behind the metropolitan area, and I began to wonder if I would have ever gone there with my classmates while I was in college. Now, however, living with Gikwang, my life wouldn’t be the same.

After some time, the frigid air started to get to me, and I stopped peddling. I turned around and looked back at Gikwang who was now covered in a thin layer of sweat as he did his workout routine. I got off the bike and walked back into the house, closing the door behind me, and that’s when Gikwang finally noticed my presence. “Feel better?” he huffed. I shrugged. I hadn’t really thought about how I was feeling, but I wasn’t in the mood to exercise anymore. He finished his reps and paused for a moment too cool down. When he was ready, me motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen.

Once there, he pulled out two water bottles and handed me one. Since I hadn’t really worked out, I wasn’t thirsty, so I watched Gikwang as he drank out of the bottle. For some reason, my eyes wandered to his Adam’s apple which bobbed up and down as he swallowed the water.

As he finished, he wiped his lips with his hand and re-capped the bottle. I quickly averted my gaze and took a tiny sip of the water. “Go take a shower,” he suddenly said, “you’re getting a little smelly.” I blushed, embarrassed. I opened the fridge and put the water bottle back inside and, without looking back at Gikwang, I scurried out of the kitchen and ran into my bedroom.

As soon as I entered my room, I sat down on the bed and gathered my thoughts. I was surprised that Gikwang was trying to comfort me after what had happened yesterday since he was normally the one causing me pain. I hated him, but at the same time, I was thankful for him. Sometimes, I felt like I couldn’t stand his presence. Other times, I relied on him. I needed him whether I wanted him or not.

Once I felt ready, I got off the bed and entered the bathroom. As I made sure the water was warm enough for me, I undressed and stepped into the shower. I closed my eyes and let myself relax in the warm water. It felt nice until I heard the shower door open and a pair of familiar, strong, arms wrapped around my waist.

“You didn’t think that after all of that touching, I would just leave you alone, did you?” he whispered in my ear.

I squirmed and tried to get out of his hold, but he wouldn’t budge. “Gikwang, please let go,” I begged. Tears returned to my eyes as I felt Gikwang’s hand moved down to my core.

“This is your fault,” he said, slipping one finger inside me, “You did this to yourself. You just make me so horny. I can’t help but get aroused from you.”

Tears mixed with the water on my face and I pulled myself away from him and backed up against the shower wall. “Please don’t touch me,” I cried out and pulled my arms close to my body in a futile attempt to defend myself.

The corner of Gikwang’s lip twitched in a small sneer as he approached me. He grabbed my head and pulled me in for a deep kiss. I tried to push him away, but he let go of my head and grabbed my arms as his lips traveled down my neck. One hand, he brought against the wall and held it secure, the other hand he brought down to his erection. I couldn’t move as he made me grip his growing member. My breath was shaky, and my legs were going numb due to the tension. “Gikwang, stop!” I cried, “I don’t want you!”

Gikwang froze and, even though the shower was warm, the air grew cold. He let go of my wrist and wrapped his hand around my throat. “What was that, Jade?” he seethed, tightening his grip. I helplessly grabbed onto his arm to make him let go, knowing that it wouldn’t make any difference. “Toys don’t get to decide what their owners do to them,” he said, “Maybe it’s because I’ve been so nice lately, but you seem to have forgotten what your place is here.”

Finally, Gikwang let go of my throat and stepped back into the stream of water. I coughed and tried to catch my breath, unsure of what Gikwang was going to do to me next. “On your knees,” he ordered, pointing to the floor in front of him. I shook my head furiously and cowered in the corner. “I’m going to say this one more time,” he fumed, “get on your knees.”

“Please don’t,” I begged, knowing what he was going to do to me.

“Wrong answer,” he answered. He approached me and grabbed me by my hair then yanked me down onto the tile floor. I landed on my hip and felt a potential bruise forming. Gikwang kicked my stomach and I fell on my back. Gikwang stood in the stream of water and glared at me. I wasn’t sure what I had done wrong to warrant this kind of anger, but I rolled onto my side and clutched my aching abdomen. Gikwang then knelt and clutched my chin, “On your knees,” he ordered, “now.”

Not wanting further abuse, I struggled to get on my hands and knees. I could barely make out a chuckle as he positioned himself behind me, gripping my hips with his large hands. I let the sound of the water mask the sound of my sobbing as Gikwang lined up his erection.

My arms could no longer hold up my body and I laid the top half of my body on the shower floor as Gikwang slipped his member inside of me, causing me to cry out. He sighed and paused for a moment, relishing in the feeling of it all. Soon, he started pumping in and out of me, slowly at first but he became quicker. Gikwang reached for my hair and gathered it behind my back before using it to yank me upright. Using one hand, he fondled my breasts while he turned my face towards him with his other hand. My sobbing made it easy for him to slip his tongue inside my mouth. I refused to give into him, even though I was at his mercy. The only thing I could think to do was bite his tongue.

Gikwang yelled in pain and pushed me away from him. Once he gained his composure, he reached for my neck and grabbed it tightly. “That’s it,” he snarled, “don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Unsure of what was happening, I felt Gikwang leave my core and I thought that was the end of it, but then he aligned himself with my anus and I felt a chill run through me. Even before meeting Gikwang, I wasn’t a virgin and I’d experimented with anal sex before. I didn’t like it.

He let the water coat my hole before shoving himself inside of me, not letting me get used to his size. I screamed in pain as it felt like I was being ripped in half. I heard Gikwang laugh from behind me. “So tight,” he groaned, moving in and out slowly, “I could cum just from this.”

I could see blood mixed in with the water as it went towards the drain and my body started shaking in pain. “Please stop,” I begged, “it hurts!”

“Oh but, angel,” he moaned, “this feels so good! You’re so tight. I might do this all the time.” I continued to weep but said nothing. Gikwang bent forward and hugged me from behind. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

I froze. Gikwang had never asked how I was feeling before. I shook my head furiously. Gikwang placed soothing kisses on my back as he gently removed himself from my anus. I thought he was done. I prayed he was done. I was proven wrong when I felt his shaft return to my womanhood. This time, I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry out in pain. I felt numb. I felt broken.

It didn’t take long until Gikwang’s breathing had become rugged. His fingers dug into my skin, leaving small bruises and he felt hard inside of me. Nothing was said when a stream of semen shot out of him. He twitched inside of me and didn’t dare move.

After a few moments, he removed himself from inside of me and I collapsed face-first in the shower. Gikwang rolled me onto my side, gently petting my head. I didn’t want to look at him, so I closed my eyes tightly. He bent down and softly kissed my forehead before standing up. “I have to go to work,” he said, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Finally, I opened my eyes and looked at him. He looked back at me, disheveled but breathing heavily. There was no emotion on his face. Not anger. Not arousal. Not pity. Nothing.

He opened the shower door and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. “Clean up and get some rest,” he added. I didn’t move. The pain was still unbearable. My jaw trembled as he closed the shower door. The fog quickly overtook the glass but I could still make out Gikwang’s face as he looked at me one final time before leaving me alone – completely broken.


End file.
